1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a food item receiving container and, more particularly, to a food item receiving container which is constructed to prevent odor and/or water from leaking to thereby keep a food item in an airtight manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, when placing a food item in a refrigerator, etc., peculiar odor of the food item and/or water is likely to leak. In order to avoid this situation, the food item is normally received in an airtight receiving container.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional airtight receiving container includes a case 1 opened at an upper end thereof, a lid 2 for opening and closing the case 1, and locking wings 3 for locking the lid 2 to the opened upper end of the case 1.
The case 1 has a rectangular box-shaped configuration which defines a receiving space therein. Adjacent to upper ends of four side walls 1a and 1b of the case 1, locking projections 4 are formed. In this regard, two locking projections 4 are projectedly formed on an outer surface of each side wall 1a and 1b of the case 1.
A sealing groove (not shown) is continuously defined adjacent to four edges on a lower surface of the lid 2 so that the opened upper end of the case 1 can be inserted into the sealing groove.
The locking wings 3 are formed integrally with four respective sides of the lid 2 so that they can be pivoted upward and downward (in directions shown by the arrows) Two locking slots 5 are defined in each locking wing 3 to be operatively associated with the two locking projections 4.
Therefore, after a food item is received in the receiving space of the case 1 by a user, the lid 2 is closed, and the locking wings 3 formed integrally with the lid 2 are pivoted downward. In doing so, the locking projections 4 formed on the side walls 1a and 1b of the case 1 are engaged into the locking slots 5, respectively, whereby the lid 2 is firmly locked to the case 1.
If the four locking wings 3 are pivoted upward, the locking projections 4 are disengaged from the locking slots 5. In this way, the lid 2 is opened.
However, the conventional airtight receiving container constructed as mentioned above suffers from defects in that, since the locking projections 4 of a substantial size are projectedly formed on the side walls 1a and 1b of the case 1, an aesthetic appearance of the airtight receiving container is deteriorated. Also, the possibility of the locking projections 4 to hinder an operation for washing the case 1 is increased. That is to say, when washing the case 1 using a scrubber, etc., the locking projections 4 projectedly formed on the side walls 1a and 1b of the case 1 may hinder the washing operation.
Further, because the locking slots 5 are defined in the locking wings 3, the likelihood of a foreign substance to be captured in the locking slots 5 is increased, whereby sanitary issues are raised.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a food item receiving container in which locking wings and their locking pattern are modified in such a way as to render an aesthetic appearance of the container and increase user convenience.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a food item receiving container in which locked states of the locking wings are maintained in a reliable manner.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food item receiving container, comprising: a case opened at an upper end thereof to define a receiving space therein; a lid for closing the opened upper end of the case; a plurality of locking wings integrally formed at edges of the lid, respectively, so that they can be pivoted upward and downward; and flange portions projectedly formed in the shape of a band on upper end outer surfaces of side walls of the case, respectively, so that the locking wings can be engaged with the flange portions to be maintained in a locked state; wherein at least one engaging groove is defined on a lower surface and at a middle portion, facing a corresponding locking wing, of each flange portion, and wherein each locking wing has an elastic engaging part which is formed to be flexed and thereby cover the lower surface of the flange portion when the corresponding locking wing is pivoted downward, and engaging protuberances which are horizontally formed on an upper surface of the elastic engaging part to be engaged with the engaging groove of the flange portion while elastically deforming the elastic engaging part.
According to another aspect of the present invention, two elongate engaging grooves are parallel defined on the lower surface of the flange portion; and two elongate engaging protuberances are formed on the upper surface of the elastic engaging part of the locking wing to be engaged into the two elongate engaging grooves, respectively.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the engaging groove of the flange portion is formed with a first inclined surface which is inclined upward from an outside toward an inside of the flange portion; and the upper surface of the elastic engaging part of the locking wing comprises a second inclined surface which is inclined in an opposite direction to the first inclined surface of the engaging groove so that the second inclined surface is engaged with the first inclined surface while the locking wing is in the locked state.